Rotary magazine gun



May 20, 1958 G. A. LYON 2,3359@ 71 ROTARY MAGAZINE GUN Filed March 14, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l G. A. Y LYON ROTARY MAGAZINE GUN 2 Sheets-Sheeil 2 Filed March 14. 1952 nited States The present invention relates to improvements in rapid tire guns for military purposes. An important object `of the present invention is to provide a rapid re rotary magazine gun having provision for quick replacement of preloaded rotary magazines.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rotary magazine gun construction having novel means for automatic revolving of the magazine and alignment of suc cessive loaded chambers of the magazine with the gun barrel.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved rotary magazine construction for rapid tiring guns.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved rocket'launcher. c

According to the general features of the invention there is provided in a rotary magazine gun, a reciprocably guided gun barrel, a rotary magazine having firing chamc bers for successive registration with the gun barrel, and means for releasably supporting the magazine rotatably in operative relation to the gun barrel comprising means for lgravitationally supporting the magazine and quick detachable means for maintaining the magazine on said supporting means against inadvertent displacement therefrom.

` According to other general features of the invention there is provided in a rotary magazine gun construction a reciprocable gun barrel, a rotary magazine having a plurality of successive chambers adapted to be registered operatively with the breech of the gun barrel, and means operatively connecting the gun barrel and the magazinefor automatically turning the magazine by one cham- -ber increments successively responsive to respective firings of the gun.

According to further general features of the invention there is provided an improved rocket launcher comprising a supporting structure, a reciprocably supported gun barrel, and a rotary magazine having therein a series of rocket supporting chambers successively registrable with the 4breech of the gun barrel, and means operative responsive to launching of the successive rockets through the gun barrel to effect successive registrations of the Ybarrel chambers with the breech of the gun barrel.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be'readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the` accompanying drawings, in which: i

Figure l is a more or less schematicy top plan View of ra rotary magazine gun embodying the features of the atent Figure 5 is a fragmentary developed plan view of the' indexing track structure of the magazine; and

Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 are schematic views showing successive stages in an indexing cycle of successive magazines as an incident to a firing of the gun.

As shown on the drawings:

vA gun according to the present invention may be constructed for service on a stationary type of gun mount, or may be ,utilized on a traveling gun mount such as on a ground or water borne vehicle or in an air borne vehicle such as a military airplane. For this purpose the gun construction has a readily adaptable base 10 herein disclosed as comprising a one piece construction which may obviously comprise a frame or a built up assembly or a gun carriage or gun emplacement, in accordance with particular service requirements. Therefore the base 10 should be considered as schematically illustrated and should be understood as generic.

On the base 10 is reciprocably supported a gun barrel 11 which may be smooth bore or ried' bore as circumstances may dictate. The gun barrel 11 is reciprocably supported by a barrel guide structure 12. Theconstruction and arrangement are such that the barrel is adapted to move forwardly during firing and then automatically recoil when the projectile has left the gun' barrel. This may be accomplished by the simple expedient of providing the rear or breech portion of the gun with an enlarged cylindrical bearing section 13 which is slidably received within a cylindrical counterbore 14 in the guide structure 12, while a reduced diameter bore portion 15 at the forward end of the guide structure provides a bearing for the minimum diameter portion of the barrel and an automatic recoil spring 17 acts between a shoulder 18 at the forward end of the breech portion 13` and a rearwardly directed' shoulder 19 at the inner end of the counterbore 14. As a result of this construction, forward sliding movement of the gun barrel 11 causes the spring 17 to be compressed and thus loaded so that upon the release of forward force on the gun barrel the gun barrel snaps rearwardly in an automatic recoil by dissipation of the energy of the loaded spring 17.

In the gun of the present invention, projectiles 20 such as rockets, but obviously not limited to rockets, are supported in a series of projectile chambers 21 disposed in uniform annular series on parallel axes in a rotary magazine 22. By preference the magazine 22 ismade from a light weight material such as aluminum alloy or other suitable light weight metal. To reinforce the Walls dening the magazine chambers 21, each of the chambers may be lined with a liner 23 0f any preferred material of high resistance to rupture. The projectiles 20 may be held within the respective magazine chambers as by means of rearwardly extending attachment stems 24 attached to primer inserts 25 at theY rear walls of the respective magazine chambers and exposed at the rear of the magazine for tiring of they respective projectiles. To support the magazine 22 rotatably for successive registration of the magazine chambers 21 with the breech of the gun barrel 11, a set of four rollers 27 may be provided for rotatably carrying the magazine 22 by engagement with the end cylindrical margins of the magazine. supported in respective axially aligned pairs upon respective shafts 28 carried by respective standards 29 on the base 10 at opposite ends of the respective shafts 28. Each of the rollers 27 preferably has a ange 30'opposing the respective contiguous end of the magazine 22 to maintain the magazine against endwse displacement. As shown in Fig. 3, the rollers 27 are mounted at the respective opposite sides of the magazine 22 adjacent the bottom thereof so that the magazine is rotatably cradled on thesrollers.

The rollers are In order to hold the magazine 22 against inadvertent upward displacement from the rollers 27, .a quick detachable retainer 31 is provided, in the present instance comprising a pair of similar segmental bands 32 and 33. Each of the bands has a bearing loop portion 34 engaging about the respective shaftsY 28 at the opposite sides of the assembly so that the retainer bands can be swung open to clear the magazine for replacement.

Means for quick detachably connecting the proximate ends of the retainer bands 32 and 33 comprises a structure such as a pivoted bolt 35 having a bearing loop 37 at one end engaging pivotally with a pin 38 carried by and between a pair of upstanding ears 39 on the retainer band 32. The opposite end portion of the connector bolt 35 has a reduced diameter threaded portion 40 which is engageable within a slot 41 in an upstanding end ear or flange 42 on the retaining band 33. A wing nut 43 threaded onto the end portion 40 of the connecting bolt 35 is provided for tightening the ear 42 against a shoulder 44 at the end of the large diameter shank portion of the bolt 35. Through this arrangement, after the magazine 22 has been placed in position on the rotary or roller cradle, the bands 32 and 33 are swung up vso that the proximate ends can then be connected by swinging the bolt 35 to drop the reduced end portion 40 into the slot 41 and then by tightening the wing nut 43' the bands are held positively against separation. Over tightening of the bands 32 and 33 is avoided by limiting the drawing up thereof by the engagement of the ange'42 against the shoulder 44 on the bolt.

Antifriction engagement by the retainer structure 31 is accomplished by providing each of the bands 32 and 33 adjacent its distal end with a roller 45 having a journal 47 supported by spaced aligned lugs or ears 48 on the carrying retainer band. The limit upon compression of the bands 32 and 33 when secured by the bolt 35 limits the pressure of the rollers 45 against the periphery of the magazine 22. In actual practice the retaining relationship of the retaining structure 31 may be fairly free so as to avoid binding or undue power expenditure requirement for turning of the magazine.

The relationship of the rotary cradle for the maga'- zine 22 is such With respect to the mounting for the gun barrel 11 that the breech of the gun barrel can register with the barrel chambers 21 successively to receive the` projectiles 20 fired from the successive chambers. For effecting proper registration, the breech end of the gun barrel is provided with a reduced diameter breech flange extension 49 defining the breech opening into the gun barrel and registrable within a complementary counterbore 50 defining the mouth of the liner 23 of each of the respective magazine chambers 21. To assure proper centering the liner end about the opening to the counterbore 50 is beveled as indicated at 51 to register with a beveled, preferably frusto-conical annular shoulder 52 at the rear end of the enlarged breech portion 13. The arrangement i`s such that the recoil spring 17 presses the breech portion of the barrel into the registered relation with the mouth structure at the magazine chamber with which the barrel may at any time be in registration.

Firing of the projectile 20 in the magazine chamber registered with the gun barrel is effected in any appropriate manner as by a ring'mechanism 54 which is schematically shown in Figures 1 and 2 and may be of any preferred construction, mechanical or electrical, as desired. The firing mechanism may be carried by the base to register with the primer insert 25 associated with the magazine chamber that is in registration with the gun barrel.

. Upon operation of the tiring mechanism 54 to ignite the initial propelling charge for the projectile 20, the projectile detaches itself from the retainer stem or firing tube 24 and drives into the barrel 11. Resistance between means such as a riing ring 55 or the like carried by the projectile and the wall of the gun barrel bore causes the gun barrel 11 to be driven forwardly to compress the automatic recoil spring 17 and to withdraw the breech tail flange 49 from the magazine chamber.y Limit upon withdrawal, forward movement of the barrel il is effected by a limit shoulder 57 comprising a radial flange about the rear end portion of the breech section 13 of the gun barrel engageable against a rearwardly facing stop shoulder 58 on the rear end of the barrel guide structure 12. The limit of projectile effected retraction movement of the gun barrel 11 is indicated in dash outline in Fig. l. As will be observed, the tail piece of the gun barrel is entirely clear of the forward end of the magazine 22 andthe magazine can therefore be turned to effect registering alignment of a succeeding chamber 21 with the breech of the gun barrel.

According to the present invention, means are provided for automatically indexing the magazine 22 as an incident to ring of the gun so that the gun can operate with rapid fire timing. To this end, means are provided for interconnecting the gun barrel 11 with the rotary magazine 22 for turning the magazine by one magazine chamber increment with respect to the gun barrel at each firing of the gun.v Herein ysuch means comprise indexing structure 59 including an indexing pin 60 motivated by the gun barrel and cooperating in step by step indexing relation with an indexing band member 61 carried by the magazine member 22. v Y

By preference the indexing pin 60 is, carried by the rear end portion of a reciprocator which may be in the form of an elongated dovetail plate or bar 62 (Figs. 2 and 3) longitudinally reciprocably guided by gibs 63 on the base 10 underlying the magazine 22 and with the forward end portion of the reciprocator underlying the breech section of the gun-barrel. A connecting element 64 projects upwardly from the reciprocator 62 into fixed engagement with the gun barrel breech flange 57. Through this arrangement, the reciprocator 62 moves with the gun barrel 11 in the reciprocations of the latter.

Cooperative with the indexing pin 60 is an indexing track 65 in the indexing member 61. The indexing track 65 is continuous and of generally saw tooth shape by uniform increments, with each saw tooth section correspending to an incrementof rotary advance of the rotary magazine.

Having more particular reference to Figures 5 through 9, it lwill be observed that each of the angular incremental magazine advance sections of the indexing track 65 has a longitudinally rearwardly extending index finger 67 generally aligned with the starting end of the angular index section.

In the full registration of the gun barrel with the magazine, ready for firing, the index pin 60 is disposed at the rear end portion of the index track finger 67 correspending to and parallel with and adjacent to the magazine chamber 21 which is in ring relation to the gun barrel. into the gun barrel, and forward movement of the gun barrel with the projectile, the indexing pin 60 travels forwardly in the indexing track finger 67 Within which it is disposed. Substantially coincident withclearance of the tip of the tail piece 49 of the gun barrel breech from the magazine, the pin 60 strikes a cam surface 68 the starting end of which is offset from the path of forward movement of the pin 60, as indicated by the travel direction line 69 in Fig. 5. Continuing forward movement of the gun barrel pulls the indexing pin 60 forwardly against the cam surface 68 and thus causes the indexing member 61 and thereby the rotary magazine 22 to turn in the direction of the directional arrow in Fig. S.

Coincident with stopping of forward movement ofthe gun barrel the index pin 60 attains a position in the indexing track 65 opposite an angularly related cam surface 70 in the indexing track so that at the beginning Upon firing and propulsion of the projectile 20 of recoil of thegun barrel, the indexing pin engages the starting end of the cam surface70 Vwhich is at this point offset relative to the rearward direction of travel of the indexing pin as indicated by vthe travel line 71 in Fig. 5. As the indexing pin 60 moves rearwardlyas motivated by the reciprocator 62 through the gun barrel, the action of the indexing pin against the cam surface 70 causes further rotation of the magazine in the indexing direction until full indexing of the next succeeding magazine 'chamber with the gun barrel is accomplished just as the tip of the tail piece 49 comes into coaxial alignment with the next succeeding magazine chamber. At this moment overrunning of the magazine is prevented by engagement of the indexing pin 60 with an opposing shoulder 72 Vat the mouth of the next succeeding registration nger 67, the indexing pin then moving into neutral within such inger 67. This completes the indexing cycle and the gun is ready for the next firing.

In Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9 are shown the successive steps in an indexing cycle. In Fig. 6 is indicated the at rest condition of the indexing mechanism in the interval between firing. In Fig. 7 is shown the relationship of the indexing mechanism just as the tail piece 49 of the gun barrel clears the magazine. In Fig. 8 is shown the end of the retractional movement of the gun barrel. Figure 9 shows the relationship of the indexing mechanism at the moment before the gun barrel breech tail piece 49 enters the next succeeding magazine chamber. The conclusion of the indexing cycle brings the mechanism back to the relationship shown in Fig. 6.l

It will thus be apparent that indexing of the rotary gun barrel is effected automatically as an incident to firing of the gun. Rapid ring of the gun can therefore be accomplished by appropriate correlation of the ring mechanism S4 with the indexing cycles.

Upon firing of the last projectile from the magazine 22, a loaded magazine can be quickly substituted by withdrawing the tail piece i9 of the gun barrel from the magazine, releasing the retainer mechanism 31 and removing the empty magazine and dropping a loaded magazine in place. Registration of the indexing pin 60 within one of the track fingers 67 must occur before the magazine is in proper place on the rotary cradle for registration of the gun barrel within one of the magazines. Then the retaining mechanism 31 is secured and the gun is again in condition for firing and automatic indexing.

It will be understood that modications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination in a gun construction including a support and a barrel on said support, and a generally upwardly facing roller cradle on said support behind the gun barrel including spaced rollers on axes parallel to the barrel axis for supporting a rotary magazine behind the gun barrel for successive registration of projectile chambers with the breech of the gun barrel, said roller cradle including a releasable retainer member engageable over a magazine on the cradle and having a roller engageable with an upper portion of the magazine.

2. In a magazine gun construction, a magazine, the magazine having a plurality of blind end projectile chambers closed at one end by integral wall portions of the vmagazine and at the opposite end opening from the magazine, a projectile in each of the magazine chambers, and means releasably connecting the rear end of the projectile in each of the chambers to said integral wall portions so thatthe magazine can be handled without the projectiles falling out of the chambers.

3. In a magazine -gun construction, a magazine, the magazine having a plurality of blind end projectile charnbers closed at one end by integral wall portions of the magazine and at the opposite end opening from the magazine, a projectile in each of the magazine chambers, and

".6 means releasably connecting thefrear end of the projectile in each of the chambers to said integral wall portions so that the magazine can be handled without the projectiles falling out of the chambers, said releasable holding means comprising a primer accessible from the outer side of the integral wall at each chamber for firing of the projectile.

4. In a rotary magazine gun, a base structure having a forward end with an elevated gun barrel guide, a gun barrel forwardly reciprocable in said guide,`a rotary gun magazine rearwardly of said gun barrel and having missile supporting chamber means registrable operatively with the breech of the gun barrel, means on said base structure rotatably supporting the gun magazine in elevatedrelation above the base correlated to the elevation of the rearend portion of the gun barrel guide, a slide structure carried 'byr the base under the magazine and connected to the gun barrel for reciprocatio-n with the gun barrel, a pin projecting upwardly from said slide under the magazine, and an indexing ring carried by the magazine and having means thereon cooperably related to said pintor indexing the magazine incident to reciprocations ofsaid slide with said gun barrel.

5. In combination in a rotary magazine gun, a forwardly projecting gun barrel, a supporting structure, said supporting structure including means for reciprocably supporting the gun barrel, a rotary magazine rearwardly of the gun barrel and having a series of projectile chambers opening from the forward end of the magazine, means rotatably supporting the magazine for registration of the mouths of the magazine chambers successively with the breech of the gun barrel, means on the gun barrel breech and at the mouth of each of the magazine chambers for assuring tiring registration of the gun Ibarrel breech and the mouth of each respective chamber, said gun barrel being movable forwardly away from the magazine upon propulsion of a projectile from a registering magazine chamber into the gun barrel, means for automatically recoiling the gun barrel rearwardly toward the magazine upon discharge of the fired projectile from the gun barrel, and means connecting the gun barrel and the magazine and including an elongated member connected at one end portion to the gun barrel for recipro cation therewith and extending therefrom into a position at its opposite end portion adjacent to the magazine, said opposite end portion having a pin projecting therefrom and operatively engaging in a track device carried by the magazine and coacting with the pin in the reciprocations of the gun barrel to advance the magazine in step-by-step turning movements for successive registration of the chambers with the gun barrel.

6. In combination in a rotary barrel magazine gun, a support, a rotary magazine on said support, a forwardly reciprocable gun barrel carried by the support in forwardly projecting relation to the magazine, said magazine behind the gun barrel having a plurality of projectile chambers, and means for indexing the projectile chambers and the magazine in firing relation to the gun barrel in succession comprising an indexing pin operatively connected to and reciprocable with the gun barrel and angularly related successive cam surfaces on the periphery of the magazine cooperative with the indexing pin to advance the magazine rotatably by projectile chamber increments in the cyclical reciprocal movements of the gun barrel forwardly during firing and return relative to the magazine following the tiring of the gun.

7. In combination in a rotary barrel magazine gun, a support, a rotary magazine on said support, a forwardly reciprocable gun barrel carried by the support in fcrwardly projecting relation to the magazine, said magazine behind the gun barrel having a plurality of projectile chambers, and means for indexing the projectile chambers and the magazine in tiring relation to the gun barrel in succession comprising an indexing pin operatively connected to and reciprocable with the gun barreland an annular indexing band member secured about the periphery of and arranged to rotate with the magazine, said band having therein a continuous generally saw tooth indexing track withy each saw tooth section corresponding to an increment of rotary advance ofV the magazine to register a projectile chamber thereof with the gun barrel, said pin riding in said track, each of said saw tooth sections being effective to effect a partial incremental rotary movement upon separational reciprocal movement of the barrel and magazine and a concluding portion operable during the approaching reciprocal movement of the magazine and gun barrel, there being a longitudnal track leg respectively leading rearwardly from the convergence of the concluding portion of each of said sections with/the first portion of the next succeeding section for reception of the indexing pin to retain the indexing band and thereby the magazine in the indexed position.

' 8 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHERV REFERENCES Popular Mechanics Magazine, page 673, November 1940. 

